How to write product descriptions that win sales

The Takeaway: Shoppers are conducting more product research than ever, and that means brands must provide detailed product descriptions that answer all the questions those consumers might have.

With the internet in the palm of your hands (or in your pockets) nearly all day, it's hard not to research everything. Maybe you want to prove to your friend that you're right. Or sometimes you're struggling to remember an actress's name, so you pull out your smartphone.

Your customers are doing the same thing, especially when they're interested in buying your products. They're using their phones, computers and in-store tech to conduct thorough research on your items before they even consider buying them. That goes for both in-store and ecommerce purchases.

This represents a huge opportunity for brands this holiday shopping season. You have the power to influence your shoppers' purchase decisions - if you provide them with detailed product descriptions on the digital channels that they populate. That means your product content is very important. In fact, 88 percent of shoppers would agree, some even going so far as to say that your product content is "extremely" important when they're making a purchase decision.

How do you seize that opportunity this holiday season? Here's how to write product descriptions that sell:

Use feature and benefit bullets
It's hard to identify what's important in your product descriptions when explained in paragraphs. Instead, provide your customers with two accurate bulleted lists. One should highlight the key features of your products, while the other details the benefits of using them.

Download our ebook for more ways to prepare your product content for the holiday shopping season.

Expand your product descriptions
The longer your product descriptions, the more product info they contain and the more shoppers can learn about the items you sell. But don't just make them long for the sake of it. Include extra attributes about your products, detailing the specifics of those items. This is particularly important if your products are often compared to competitors.

Tell a story
Product content is marketing copy, and a key tenet of a successful marketing strategy is the story of your brand or product. So, be sure to illustrate your items' use cases with an engaging story or customer example. That helps shoppers envision how they'd use your product. It's also important to note that your product content is authentic to your brand's voice.

Include relevant keywords
Between now and Black Friday, you should conduct research to identify relevant keywords that shoppers are searching for, and then, before the holiday shopping season begins, add those phrases to your product descriptions. In the same vein, determine what questions your customers are asking when researching your products and try to answer those in your product content.